Baby Bump 2012

Expectations, dreams and inspiration, on our way to parenthood.

[babybump2012]

Olivia

At 11:55 p.m. last Sunday the water broke with a pop. Almost 24 hours later, at 10:05 p.m. Monday, after some complications, Olivia was born through an emergency C-section. My contractions didn't come frequent enough, and after 21 hours of labour the baby's heart rhythm was unstable, and the delivering doctor and midwives started to worry. An examination showed that I was fully dilated, but the baby's head was still to high for me to be able to push without help. They took a blood sample from baby's head which showed that she was stressed, so it was quickly decided that I should push through two contractions with help from vaccum extraction (not sure about translation), and if that didn't work they would take her out with a Caesarian section. Which is what happened. 

When they opened me up (I was under anesthesia), they saw that she had the umbilical cord around the neck, and that's probably one of the reasons that she wouldn't sink down into the pelvis. She was a bit taken but quickly recovered and was brought down to her waiting father so that he could care for her while I was stitched up and then held in post-op for a few hours.

No matter how much I wanted a natural birth, and though nothing went as I planned, I am not the least bit disappointed. I am just so happy that they got her out safely and that she is here with us. 

She weighed 2995 grams (=6,602 lb), and was 49 cm "tall" (=1 foot, 7 inches).

I'm so happy, even though I'm quite affected by the operation and nothing's as I had expected. We're home now and my husband does a great job at taking care of both me and Olivia.

[babybump2012]

Do wishes come true?

Because I have been wishing a lot the past days, may I tell you. But still nothing. Nothing! Not the slightest hint. We're now nine days past the due date. Five days more are considered normal. Then we'll see.

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Entering the 42nd week of pregnancy. Big woop.

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Week 41+0 today

Could this be the day? Please please, pretty please?

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Still no baby

We are now five days past our due date, and still no baby. There has been some minor signs of labour though, so I hope it's not too far away. Friday morning I started "leaking" small amounts of amniotic fluid, and saturday night I had regular contractions for little over an hour. An hour is nothing, but since I've only had Braxton Hick's before it's still a change. That's all... so no idea when the wait is over... going slightly nuts here! 

[babybump2012]

Today was our due date, September 5th. But no baby in sight. 

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The last week?

So we've reached the 40th week of pregnancy. Wow! These months went by pretty fast, huh? 

No signs yet though that labour is near, and I suspect I will pass my due date. I feel well, for being this pregnant. But my pelvis hurts, or aches, a lot more now and I'm over all uncomfortable most of the time. I barely sleep during the nights, partly due to the discomfort and partly because of my brain is running wild. I have my last scheduled OB-GYN appointment on monday, hopefully baby's head has sunk by then so that this pain has some purpose. 

I have some Braxton Hick's contractions, but not a lot (who knows what defines as a lot though?). They say when it's a "real" contraction you'll just know, but will I? 

My head spins around like this, and a thousand times more, 24/7. I'm ready for labour, I'm ready to become a mom, and I'm oh so ready to meet our baby. 

[babybump2012]

Today I received a book on introducing solid food to babies, "Baby-Led Weaning" by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. It's a guide on letting your baby feed itself from the beginning instead of spoon feeding it. I've actually read most of it already on my iPhone, but wanted the real deal as well. Partly because I'm a sucker for books, and partly because I want to be able to go back to it easier, when I need tips or inspiration on food. If your interested, here's a wiki on the subject, and here's Amazon's book description:

"The Natural, No-Fuss, No-Purée Method for Starting Your Baby on Solid Foods

Baby-Led Weaning explodes the myth that babies need to be spoon-fed and shows why self-feeding from the start of the weaning process is the healthiest way for your child to develop. With baby-led weaning (BLW, for short), you can skip purées and make the transition to solid food by following your baby’s cues.

At about six months, most babies are ready to join the family at the kitchen table and discover food for themselves. Baby-Led Weaning is the definitive guide to this crucial period in your child’s development, and shows you how to help your baby:

Participate in family meals right from the start

Experiment with food at his or her own pace

Develop new abilities, including hand-eye coordination and chewing

Learn to love a variety of foods and to enjoy mealtimes

Baby-led weaning became a parenting phenomenon in the UK practically overnight, inspiring a fast-growing and now international online community of parents who practice baby-led weaning—with blogs and pictures to prove it! In Baby-Led Weaning, world-leading BLW authority Gill Rapley and early BLW practitioner and coauthor Tracey Murkett deliver everything you need to know about raising healthy, confident eaters."

[babybump2012]

Week 38+0

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The bump a couple of days ago, but mostly my furry friend "Snail". When he purrs that close to the bump the baby starts stirring inside so I guess she hears him. <3

[babybump2012]

The second day of maternity leave

Today is my second day off. And today I got to sleep in as long as I wanted. It was simply marvelous! Especially after a bad nights sleep due to extreme heat, extreme for me at least.  

Now I just got home from my weekly OB-GYN visit. The baby's head still isn't fixated, which it should be by now, but it doesn't have to mean anything really. We'll just wait for the delivery to start by it self. My guess is I'll pass the due date. This baby is in no rush. After all, she has a lazy mom and a slow dad. ;)

Everything else looked great as usual: my weight gain is good, baby has a strong healthy heart beat, my blood pressure's low and my uterus has grown just the right amount. So if only the head had been fixated everything would have been just perfect.

Now I'm about to write my birth plan. I have made two drafts based on two different templates I found on the Internet, so now I'm going to put them together to one whole plan. There's so much to think about. I have so many hopes and wishes. And even though I'm looking forward to giving birth I still have a lot of fears. Mostly over not being in control and not trusting the staff. And them not trusting me. Or trying to convince me to take drugs that I don't want, because I'm easy to boss around when I'm vulnerable. That's where I hope my husband can step in and give me the time to focus and rethink before making a rash decision that I will later regret. He knows me better than anyone and I think he can analyze my reactions to see if they're genuine or if I'm just giving in. 

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Get this

...today we entered the 38th week! Crazy huh?

Only three weeks left. And only two work days left!

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9 months

Being nine months pregnant and working full time in a stuffy, badly ventilated office wasn't such a great idea after all. Two weeks to go.

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And in pictures

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Week 35

So, I should have posted an update to that last post a while ago, but life got in the way. 

Anyhow. Yesterday we entered week 35, it is now less than six weeks to go! Baby's high up now and presses my diaphragm up into my lungs and at the same time my ribs outwards, neither of which are very pleasant experiences, whenever i sit or lean forward. So at work I try to stand as much as possible but that makes my pelvis hurt after a while. So, yeah... I'm starting to look forward to not being pregnant, and I'm seriously longing for a normal pair of jeans. But I still love feeling our little daughter growing inside me, soon we'll get to hold her in our arms.

At the ultrasound last week we got it confirmed that the baby has turned head down, as I had suspected for a couple of weeks. So, here's hoping she stays that way! We also got her approximate weight, 2 023 grams = 4,46 pounds. They gain about 250 grams per week the remaining time which means a guessed birth weight of 3 523 grams = 7,8 pounds.

What's kind of new (at least it was when I first attempted this post) is that I've become really, overly sensitive. I can cry over just about anything. I almost cried at work even. And also, I'm worried about my husband whenever he's away. I've imagined him in so many car crashes it's crazy. What would I do if something happened to him? Would I be able to stay in the house? Would baby be ok without a father? Would his family keep including me/us?

Would I even be able to breathe if he didn't?

[babybump2012]

Week 34

Last monday we had our second ultrasound. Again, everything looked great and she’s grown perfectly. We got to count the toes on one foot at least. And, yes, there were five of them.

Today I had a regular check-up with my obstetrician. She measured the womb, blood pressure and blood count. Everything looked fine there as well. So basically everything’s going along great. Seven weeks to go! Oh, I weighed in as well, of course. I’ve now gained practically ten kilos! That’s round and about 20 pounds. If I keep the same rate I will probably gain about five more kilos before giving birth, which is just normal. Great!

I will work for four more weeks and have officially started the count down. I’m getting tired of it all and look forward to resting and preparing for the big arrival.

*Update: I had tons more to write, but this brain of mine stops working at nine pm so I'll give it another go tomorrow.*

[babybump2012]

Deja vu

So, since baby isn't much of a secret anymore, I blog about her in my regular blog as well. That makes me kind of unmotivated to update this one. I'll think about what to do about that. 

Anyway, we're in our 32nd week, eight to go. Baby's getting stronger and does everything in her power to remind us about it, including kicking both my bladder and my ribs with all her might. Which is great! It's the best kind of confirmation that she's doing well.  

Next monday we have an appointment for our second, and last, ultrasound. Truly exciting! I have no idea how much we'll be able to see but I hope we'll get a glance at what she looks like. And another picture to bring home would be fun!

This week according to Babycenter.com:

"This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy."